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Sep 22,  · The black bear habitat includes the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest, parts of New Mexico, Arizona and over to the Ozarks in Arkansas and Missouri. In the Eastern . Black bears can be found all over the world. In North America, they live in forests and woodlands, where they can find plenty of food and shelter. But they can also be found in other . Black bears prefer to live in dense forests where there is a variety of food to eat and they can raise their cubs. But they have adapted to many different habitats. They build their dens in .
 
 

– Where do black bears live

 

The American black bear Ursus americanus , or simply black bear , is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent’s smallest and most widely distributed bear species.

American black bears are omnivores , with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but will leave forests in search of food, and are sometimes attracted to human communities due to the immediate availability of food.

Despite the name, some subspecies can be brown or even blond in coloration. The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN lists the American black bear as a least-concern species , due to its widespread distribution and a large population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Along with the brown bear Ursus arctos , it is one of only two modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction.

Despite living in North America, American black bears are not closely related to brown bears and polar bears ; genetic studies reveal that they split from a common ancestor 5. A small primitive bear called Ursus abstrusus is the oldest known North American fossil member of the genus Ursus , dated to 4.

The ancestors of American black bears and Asian black bears diverged from sun bears 4. The American black bear then split from the Asian black bear 4. The American black bear lived during the same period as the giant and lesser short-faced bears Arctodus simus and A. These tremarctine bears evolved from bears that had emigrated from Asia to the Americas 7—8 mya.

The American black bear’s generalist behavior allowed it to exploit a wider variety of foods and has been given as a reason why, of these three genera, it alone survived climate and vegetative changes through the last Ice Age while the other, more specialized North American predators became extinct. However, both Arctodus and Tremarctos had survived several other, previous ice ages.

After these prehistoric ursids became extinct during the last glacial period 10, years ago, American black bears were probably the only bear present in much of North America until the migration of brown bears to the rest of the continent. American black bears are reproductively compatible with several other bear species and occasionally produce hybrid offspring. According to Jack Hanna ‘s Monkeys on the Interstate , a bear captured in Sanford, Florida was thought to have been the offspring of an escaped female Asian black bear and a male American black bear.

In the nine-year Report it is stated that the bears had been seen in the zoological gardens to couple freely, but previously to most had rarely conceived. In the reports published since this date three species have produced young hybrids in one case , DNA testing was unable to determine whether it was a large American black bear or a grizzly bear. Sixteen subspecies are traditionally recognized; however, a recent genetic study does not support designating some of these, such as the Florida black bear, as distinct subspecies.

Historically, American black bears occupied the majority of North America’s forested regions. Today, they are primarily limited to sparsely settled, forested areas. All provinces indicated stable populations of American black bears over the last decade. The current range of American black bears in the United States is constant throughout most of the Northeast and within the Appalachian Mountains almost continuously from Maine to northern Georgia , the northern Midwest , the Rocky Mountain region , the West Coast and Alaska.

Despite this, American black bears in those areas seem to have expanded their range during the last decade, such as with recent sightings in Ohio , [27] Illinois , [29] and southern Indiana. Surveys taken from 35 states in the early s indicate that American black bears are either stable or increasing, except in Idaho and New Mexico.

The overall population of American black bears in the United States has been estimated to range between , and ,, [35] though this excludes populations from Alaska, Idaho , South Dakota , Texas and Wyoming , whose population sizes are unknown.

As of , known Mexican black bear populations existed in four areas, though knowledge on the distribution of populations outside those areas has not been updated since Mexico is the only country where the American black bear is classified as «endangered». There have been several sightings quite far away from where the American black bear is normally found, such as Union County, North Carolina , [38] [39] and western Nebraska.

The population density is about two per square mile. They inhabit all elevations in the park. Throughout their range, habitats preferred by American black bears have a few shared characteristics. They are often found in areas with relatively inaccessible terrain, thick understory vegetation and large quantities of edible material especially masts.

The adaptation to woodlands and thick vegetation in this species may have originally been due to the American black bear having evolved alongside larger, more aggressive bear species, such as the extinct giant short-faced bear and the still-living grizzly bear , that monopolized more open habitats [42] and the historic presence of larger predators, such as Smilodon and the American lion , that could have preyed on American black bears.

Although found in the largest numbers in wild, undisturbed areas and rural regions, American black bears can adapt to surviving in some numbers in peri-urban regions, as long as they contain easily accessible foods and some vegetative coverage. In most of the contiguous United States, American black bears today are usually found in heavily vegetated mountainous areas, from to 3, m 1, to 9, ft in elevation. For American black bears living in the American Southwest and Mexico , habitat usually consists of stands of chaparral and pinyon juniper woods.

In this region, bears occasionally move to more open areas to feed on prickly pear cactus. At least two distinct, prime habitat types are inhabited in the Southeastern United States. American black bears in the southern Appalachian Mountains survive in predominantly oak-hickory and mixed mesophytic forests. In the coastal areas of the Southeast such as Florida , the Carolinas and Louisiana , bears inhabit a mixture of flatwoods , bays and swampy hardwood sites.

In the northeastern part of the range the United States and Canada , prime habitat consists of a forest canopy of hardwoods such as beech , maple , birch and coniferous species. Corn crops and oak-hickory mast are also common sources of food in some sections of the Northeast; small, thick swampy areas provide excellent refuge cover largely in stands of white cedar.

Along the Pacific coast, redwood , Sitka spruce and hemlocks predominate as overstory cover. Within these northern forest types are early successional areas important for American black bears, such as fields of brush, wet and dry meadows , high tidelands , riparian areas and a variety of mast-producing hardwood species. The spruce-fir forest dominates much of the range of the American black bear in the Rockies.

Important non-forested areas here are wet meadows, riparian areas, avalanche chutes, roadsides, burns, sidehill parks and subalpine ridgetops. In areas where human development is relatively low, such as stretches of Canada and Alaska , American black bears tend to be found more regularly in lowland regions. The skulls of American black bears are broad, with narrow muzzles and large jaw hinges.

In Virginia , the total length of adult bear skulls was found to average to mm Their claws are typically black or grayish-brown. The claws are short and rounded, being thick at the base and tapering to a point.

Claws from both hind and front legs are almost identical in length, though the foreclaws tend to be more sharply curved. The paws of the species are relatively large, with a rear foot length of The hind legs are relatively longer than those of Asian black bears. The vestigial tail is usually 4. The ears are small and rounded and are set well back on the head. American black bears are highly dexterous , being capable of opening screw-top jars and manipulating door latches.

They are also capable of rapidly learning to distinguish different shapes such as small triangles, circles and squares. American black bear weight tends to vary according to age, sex, health and season. American black bears on the East Coast tend to be heavier on average than those on the West Coast , although American black bears follow Bergmann’s rule and bears from the Northwest are often slightly heavier than the bears from the Southeast.

In the state of California , studies have indicated that the average mass is 86 kg lb in adult males and 58 kg lb in adult females. The typically small tail is 7. The biggest wild American black bear ever recorded was a male from New Brunswick , shot in November , that weighed kg lb after it had been dressed, meaning it weighed an estimated kg 1, lb in life and measured 2.

Ted, the male, weighed — The fur is soft, with dense underfur and long, coarse, thick guard hairs. Individual coat colors can range from white, blonde, cinnamon, light brown or dark chocolate brown to jet black, with many intermediate variations existing. Silvery-gray American black bears with a blue luster this is found mostly on the flanks occur along a portion of coastal Alaska and British Columbia.

White to cream-colored American black bears occur in the coastal islands and the adjacent mainland of southwestern British Columbia. Albino individuals have also been recorded. Grizzly and other types of brown bears can be distinguished by their shoulder hump, larger size and broader, more concave skull. American black bears have better eyesight and hearing than humans.

Their keenest sense is their sense of smell, which is about seven times more sensitive than a domestic dog’s. They regularly climb trees to feed, escape enemies and hibernate. Four of the eight modern bear species are habitually arboreal the most arboreal species, the American and Asian black bears and the sun bear, being fairly closely related.

American black bears living near human habitations tend to be more extensively nocturnal , while those living near brown bears tend to be more often diurnal. American black bears tend to be territorial and non- gregarious in nature. However, at abundant food sources e. Annual ranges held by mature male American black bears tend to be very large, though there is some variation. On Long Island off the coast of Washington , ranges average 5 sq mi 13 km 2 , whereas on the Ungava Peninsula in Canada ranges can average up to 1, sq mi 2, km 2 , with some male bears traveling as far as 4, sq mi 11, km 2 at times of food shortages.

American black bears may communicate with various vocal and non-vocal sounds. Tongue-clicking and grunting are the most common sounds and are made in cordial situations to conspecifics, offspring and occasionally humans. When at ease, they produce a loud rumbling hum. During times of fear or nervousness, bears may moan, huff or blow air. Warning sounds include jaw-clicking and lip-popping. In aggressive interactions, black bears produce «deep-throated pulsing» calls that may sound like growling.

Cubs squeal, bawl or scream when anxious and make a motor-like humming sound when comfortable or nursing. Sows usually produce their first litter at the age of 3 to 5 years, [46] with those living in more developed areas tending to get pregnant at younger ages. The breeding period lasts for two to three months. Both sexes are promiscuous. Males try to mate with several females, but large, dominant ones may violently claim a female if another mature male comes near.

The fertilized eggs undergo delayed development and do not implant in the female’s womb until November. The gestation period lasts days and litters are usually born in late January to early February.

Litter size is between one and six cubs, typically two or three. They are born with fine, gray, down-like hair and their hind quarters are underdeveloped. They typically open their eyes after 28—40 days and begin walking after 5 weeks.

 

Where do black bears live. American Black Bear

 

American black bears in the southern Appalachian Mountains survive in predominantly oak-hickory and mixed mesophytic forests. In the coastal areas of the Southeast such as Florida , the Carolinas and Louisiana , bears inhabit a mixture of flatwoods , bays and swampy hardwood sites.

In the northeastern part of the range the United States and Canada , prime habitat consists of a forest canopy of hardwoods such as beech , maple , birch and coniferous species. Corn crops and oak-hickory mast are also common sources of food in some sections of the Northeast; small, thick swampy areas provide excellent refuge cover largely in stands of white cedar. Along the Pacific coast, redwood , Sitka spruce and hemlocks predominate as overstory cover.

Within these northern forest types are early successional areas important for American black bears, such as fields of brush, wet and dry meadows , high tidelands , riparian areas and a variety of mast-producing hardwood species. The spruce-fir forest dominates much of the range of the American black bear in the Rockies. Important non-forested areas here are wet meadows, riparian areas, avalanche chutes, roadsides, burns, sidehill parks and subalpine ridgetops.

In areas where human development is relatively low, such as stretches of Canada and Alaska , American black bears tend to be found more regularly in lowland regions. The skulls of American black bears are broad, with narrow muzzles and large jaw hinges.

In Virginia , the total length of adult bear skulls was found to average to mm Their claws are typically black or grayish-brown. The claws are short and rounded, being thick at the base and tapering to a point. Claws from both hind and front legs are almost identical in length, though the foreclaws tend to be more sharply curved.

The paws of the species are relatively large, with a rear foot length of The hind legs are relatively longer than those of Asian black bears.

The vestigial tail is usually 4. The ears are small and rounded and are set well back on the head. American black bears are highly dexterous , being capable of opening screw-top jars and manipulating door latches.

They are also capable of rapidly learning to distinguish different shapes such as small triangles, circles and squares. American black bear weight tends to vary according to age, sex, health and season. American black bears on the East Coast tend to be heavier on average than those on the West Coast , although American black bears follow Bergmann’s rule and bears from the Northwest are often slightly heavier than the bears from the Southeast.

In the state of California , studies have indicated that the average mass is 86 kg lb in adult males and 58 kg lb in adult females. The typically small tail is 7. The biggest wild American black bear ever recorded was a male from New Brunswick , shot in November , that weighed kg lb after it had been dressed, meaning it weighed an estimated kg 1, lb in life and measured 2.

Ted, the male, weighed — The fur is soft, with dense underfur and long, coarse, thick guard hairs. Individual coat colors can range from white, blonde, cinnamon, light brown or dark chocolate brown to jet black, with many intermediate variations existing.

Silvery-gray American black bears with a blue luster this is found mostly on the flanks occur along a portion of coastal Alaska and British Columbia. White to cream-colored American black bears occur in the coastal islands and the adjacent mainland of southwestern British Columbia. Albino individuals have also been recorded. Grizzly and other types of brown bears can be distinguished by their shoulder hump, larger size and broader, more concave skull.

American black bears have better eyesight and hearing than humans. Their keenest sense is their sense of smell, which is about seven times more sensitive than a domestic dog’s.

They regularly climb trees to feed, escape enemies and hibernate. Four of the eight modern bear species are habitually arboreal the most arboreal species, the American and Asian black bears and the sun bear, being fairly closely related.

American black bears living near human habitations tend to be more extensively nocturnal , while those living near brown bears tend to be more often diurnal.

American black bears tend to be territorial and non- gregarious in nature. However, at abundant food sources e. Annual ranges held by mature male American black bears tend to be very large, though there is some variation. On Long Island off the coast of Washington , ranges average 5 sq mi 13 km 2 , whereas on the Ungava Peninsula in Canada ranges can average up to 1, sq mi 2, km 2 , with some male bears traveling as far as 4, sq mi 11, km 2 at times of food shortages.

American black bears may communicate with various vocal and non-vocal sounds. Tongue-clicking and grunting are the most common sounds and are made in cordial situations to conspecifics, offspring and occasionally humans. When at ease, they produce a loud rumbling hum. During times of fear or nervousness, bears may moan, huff or blow air. Warning sounds include jaw-clicking and lip-popping. In aggressive interactions, black bears produce «deep-throated pulsing» calls that may sound like growling.

Cubs squeal, bawl or scream when anxious and make a motor-like humming sound when comfortable or nursing. Sows usually produce their first litter at the age of 3 to 5 years, [46] with those living in more developed areas tending to get pregnant at younger ages. The breeding period lasts for two to three months. Both sexes are promiscuous. Males try to mate with several females, but large, dominant ones may violently claim a female if another mature male comes near.

The fertilized eggs undergo delayed development and do not implant in the female’s womb until November. The gestation period lasts days and litters are usually born in late January to early February. Litter size is between one and six cubs, typically two or three. They are born with fine, gray, down-like hair and their hind quarters are underdeveloped. They typically open their eyes after 28—40 days and begin walking after 5 weeks.

Cubs are dependent on their mother’s milk for 30 weeks and will reach independence at 16—18 months. At the age of 6 weeks, they attain g 2. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years and attain their full growth at the age of 5 years. The average lifespan in the wild is 18 years, though it is quite possible for wild individuals to survive for more than 23 years. With the exception of the rare confrontation with an adult brown bear or a gray wolf pack, adult American black bears are not usually subject to natural predation.

In such scenarios, the big cat would have the advantage if it ambushed the bear, killing it with a crushing bite to the back of the skull. Known predators of bear cubs have included bobcats , coyotes , cougars , gray wolves, brown bears and other bears of their own species. There is a single record of a golden eagle snatching a yearling cub. However, in current times, American black bear fatalities are mainly attributable to human activities. Seasonally, thousands of American black bears are hunted legally across North America to control their numbers, while some are illegally poached or trapped unregulated.

Auto collisions also may claim many American black bear lives annually. American black bears were once not considered true or «deep» hibernators , but because of discoveries about the metabolic changes that allow American black bears to remain dormant for months without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating, most biologists have redefined mammalian hibernation as «specialized, seasonal reduction in metabolism concurrent with scarce food and cold weather».

American black bears are now considered highly efficient hibernators. Understanding the physiology of bears in the wild is vital to the bear’s success in captivity. The bears enter their dens in October and November, although in the southernmost areas of their range i. Florida, Mexico, the Southeastern United States , only pregnant females and mothers with yearling cubs will enter hibernation. Hibernation in American black bears typically lasts 3—8 months, depending on regional climate.

Hibernating American black bears spend their time in hollowed-out dens in tree cavities, under logs or rocks, in banks, caves, or culverts and in shallow depressions. Although naturally made dens are occasionally used, most dens are dug out by the bear itself. During their time in hibernation, an American black bear’s heart rate drops from 40 to 50 beats per minute to 8 beats per minute and the metabolic rate can drop to a quarter of the bear’s nonhibernating basal metabolic rate BMR.

These reductions in metabolic rate and heart rate do not appear to decrease the bear’s ability to heal injuries during hibernation. Their circadian rhythm stays intact during hibernation. This allows the bear to sense the changes in the day based on the ambient temperature caused by the sun’s position in the sky.

It has also been shown that ambient light exposure and low disturbance levels that is to say, wild bears in ambient light conditions directly correlate with their activity levels. The hibernating American black bear does not display the same rate of muscle and bone atrophy relative to other nonhibernatory animals that are subject to long periods of inactivity due to ailment or old age.

The bear’s bone mass does not change in geometry or mineral composition during hibernation, which implies that the bear’s conservation of bone mass during hibernation is due to a biological mechanism.

The retention of waste during hibernation specifically in minerals such as calcium may play a role in the bear’s resistance to atrophy. If the winter is mild enough, they may wake up and forage for food. Females also give birth in February and nurture their cubs until the snow melts. Many of the physiological changes an American black bear exhibits during hibernation are retained slightly post-hibernation. Upon exiting hibernation, bears retain a reduced heart rate and basal metabolic rate.

The metabolic rate of a hibernating bear will remain at a reduced level for up to 21 days after hibernation. In mountainous areas, they seek southerly slopes at lower elevations for forage and move to northerly and easterly slopes at higher elevations as summer progresses. The time that American black bears emerge from hibernation varies. Factors affecting this include temperature, flooding, and hunger. In southern areas, they may wake up in midwinter.

Further north, they may not be seen until late March, April, or even early May. Altitude also has an effect. Bears at lower altitudes tend to emerge earlier.

Finally, mature males tend to come out earliest, followed by immature males and females, and lastly mothers with cubs. Mothers with yearling cubs are seen before those with newborns. Generally, American black bears are largely crepuscular in foraging activity, though they may actively feed at any time. As the spring temperature warms, American black bears seek new shoots of many plant species, especially new grasses , wetland plants and forbs. During the autumn hyperphagia , feeding becomes virtually the full-time task of American black bears.

Hard masts become the most important part of the American black bear’s diet in autumn and may even partially dictate the species’ distribution. Favored masts such as hazelnuts , oak acorns and whitebark pine nuts may be consumed by the hundreds each day by a single American black bear during the fall. These include refuse , birdseed , agricultural products and honey from apiaries. The majority of the American black bear’s animal diet consists of insects , such as bees , yellow jackets , ants and their larvae.

Once the hive is breached, the bears will scrape the honeycombs together with their paws and eat them, regardless of stings from the bees. As the fawns reach 10 days of age, they can outmaneuver the bears and their scent is soon ignored until the next year. Predation on adult deer is rare, but it has been recorded. In Labrador , American black bears are exceptionally carnivorous, living largely off caribou , usually young, injured, old, sickly or dead specimens, and rodents such as voles.

This is believed to be due to a paucity of edible plant life in this sub-Arctic region and a local lack of competing large carnivores including other bear species. Once a deer fawn is captured, it is frequently torn apart alive while feeding. American black bears often drag their prey to cover, preferring to feed in seclusion. The skin of large prey is stripped back and turned inside out, with the skeleton usually left largely intact.

Unlike gray wolves and coyotes, American black bears rarely scatter the remains of their kills. Vegetation around the carcass is usually matted down by American black bears and their droppings are frequently found nearby. American black bears may attempt to cover remains of larger carcasses, though they do not do so with the same frequency as cougars and grizzly bears. Over much of their range, American black bears are assured scavengers that can intimidate, using their large size and considerable strength, and if necessary dominate other predators in confrontations over carcasses.

However, on occasions where they encounter Kodiak or grizzly bears, the larger two brown subspecies dominate them. American black bears tend to escape competition from brown bears by being more active in the daytime and living in more densely forested areas. Violent interactions, resulting in the deaths of American black bears, have been recorded in Yellowstone National Park.

American black bears do occasionally compete with cougars over carcasses. Like brown bears, they will sometimes steal kills from cougars. As a result, the cats spend more time killing and less time feeding on each kill. American black bear interactions with gray wolves are much rarer than with brown bears, due to differences in habitat preferences. The majority of American black bear encounters with wolves occur in the species’ northern range, with no interactions being recorded in Mexico.

Despite the American black bear being more powerful on a one-to-one basis, packs of wolves have been recorded to kill black bears on numerous occasions without eating them. Unlike brown bears, American black bears frequently lose against wolves in disputes over kills. There is at least one record of an American black bear killing a wolverine Gulo gulo in a dispute over food in Yellowstone National Park.

At least one jaguar Panthera onca has been recorded to have attacked and eaten a black bear: «El Jefe», the jaguar famous for being the first jaguar seen in the United States in over a century.

American black bears feature prominently in the stories of some of America’s indigenous peoples. One tale tells of how the black bear was a creation of the Great Spirit , while the grizzly bear was created by the Evil Spirit. Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan is named after a Native American legend, where a female bear and her two cubs swam across Lake Michigan in order to escape a fire on the Wisconsin shore.

The mother bear reached the shore and waited for her cubs, but they did not make it across. Two islands mark where the cubs drowned, while the dune marks the spot where the mother bear waited. Morris Michtom , the creator of the teddy bear , was inspired to make the toy when he came across a cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot an American black bear cub tied to a tree.

Terrible Ted was a de-toothed and de-clawed American black bear who was forced to perform as a pro wrestler and whose «career» lasted from the s to the s.

The American black bear is the mascot of the University of Maine and Baylor University , where the university houses two live American black bears on campus. Although an adult bear is quite capable of killing a human, American black bears typically avoid confronting humans.

Unlike grizzly bears , which became a subject of fearsome legend among the European settlers of North America, black bears were rarely considered overly dangerous, even though they lived in areas where the pioneers had settled.

American black bears rarely attack when confronted by humans and usually only make mock charges, emit blowing noises and swat the ground with their forepaws. The number of attacks on humans is higher than those by brown bears in North America, but this is largely because black bears considerably outnumber brown bears. Compared to brown bear attacks, aggressive encounters with American black bears rarely lead to serious injury. Most American black bear attacks tend to be motivated by hunger rather than territoriality and thus victims have a higher probability of surviving by fighting back rather than submitting.

Unlike female brown bears, female American black bears are not as protective of their cubs and rarely attack humans in the vicinity of the cubs.

The bear was shot while mauling a fourth victim. The majority of attacks happened in national parks, usually near campgrounds, where the bears had habituated to close human proximity and food. A limitation of food sources in early spring and wild berry and nut crop failures in summer may contribute to American black bears regularly feeding from human-based food sources.

These bears often eat crops, especially during autumn hyperphagia when natural foods are scarce. Favored crops include apples , oats and corn. Livestock depredations occur mostly in spring.

Although they occasionally hunt adult cattle and horses , they seem to prefer smaller prey such as sheep , goats , pigs and young calves. They usually kill by biting the neck and shoulders, though they may break the neck or back of the prey with blows with the paws. Evidence of a bear attack includes claw marks and is often found on the neck, back and shoulders of larger animals. Surplus killing of sheep and goats are common.

American black bears have been known to frighten livestock herds over cliffs, causing injuries and death to many animals; whether or not this is intentional is not known. Although large, aggressive dogs can sometimes cause a bear to run, if pressed, angry bears often turn the tables and end up chasing the dogs in return. A bear in pursuit of a pet dog can threaten both canid and human lives.

In British Columbia , a group of American black bears were used as guard animals to protect a marijuana plantation. The hunting of American black bears has taken place since the initial settlement of the Americas. The first piece of evidence dates to a Clovis site at Lehner Ranch , Arizona. Partially calcined teeth of a 3-month old black bear cub came from a roasting pit, suggesting the bear cub was eaten.

The surrounding charcoal was dated to the Early Holocene 10, BP. Black bear remains also appear to be associated with early peoples in Tlapacoya , Mexico.

Native Americans increasingly utilized black bears during the Holocene , particularly in the late Holocene upper Midwest , e. Some Native American tribes, [ which?

Tobacco smoke would be wafted into the disembodied head’s nostrils by the hunter that dealt the killing blow, who would compliment the animal for its courage.

Unlike the hunting of hibernating grizzly bears, which was fraught with danger, hibernating American black bears took longer to awaken and hunting them was thus safer and easier. He wrote that American black bears were difficult to hunt by stalking, due to their habitat preferences, though they were easy to trap.

Roosevelt described how, in the southern states, planters regularly hunted American black bears on horseback with hounds. General Wade Hampton was known to have been present at successful American black bear hunts, two-thirds of which he killed personally. He killed 30 or 40 American black bears with only a knife, which he would use to stab the bears between the shoulder blades while they were distracted by his hounds.

In , 3, skins were exported from the Hudson’s Bay Company. In Canada, American black bears are considered as both a big game and furbearer species in all provinces, save for New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories, where they are only classed as a big game species. There are around 80, licensed American black bear hunters in all of Canada.

Canadian black bear hunts take place in the fall and spring and both male and female bears can be legally taken, though some provinces prohibit the hunting of females with cubs, or yearlings. Currently, 28 of the U. Nineteen states require a bear hunting license, with some also requiring a big game license. In eight states, only a big game license is required to hunt American black bears. Overall, over , American black bear hunting licenses are sold per year. The hunting methods and seasons vary greatly according to state, with some bear hunting seasons including fall only, spring and fall, or year-round.

New Jersey , in November , approved a six-day bear-hunting season in early December to slow the growth of the American black bear population. Bear hunting had been banned in New Jersey for five years before that time. Approximately 18, American black bears were killed annually in the U.

Within this period, annual kills ranged from six bears in South Carolina to 2, in Maine. According to Dwight Schuh in his Bowhunter’s Encyclopedia , American black bears are the third most popular quarry of bowhunters , behind deer and elk. American black bear meat had historically been held in high esteem among North America’s indigenous people and colonists.

The flesh of the [black] bear is savoury, but rather luscious, and tastes not unlike pork. It was once so common an article of food in New-York as to have given the name of Bear Market to one of the principal markets of the city.

Theodore Roosevelt himself likened the flesh of young American black bears to that of pork, and not as coarse or flavorless as the meat of grizzly bears. Meat from the neck, front legs and shoulders is usually ground into minced meat or used for stews and casseroles.

Keeping the fat on tends to give the meat a strong flavor. As American black bears can have trichinellosis , cooking temperatures need to be high in order to kill the parasites. American black bear fat was once valued as a cosmetic article that promoted hair growth and gloss.

The fat most favored for this purpose was the hard white fat found in the body’s interior. As only a small portion of this fat could be harvested for this purpose, the oil was often mixed with large quantities of hog lard.

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Archived from the original on February 17, Retrieved February 11, Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance. Globe Pequot. Retrieved May 16, Retrieved November 21, Archived from the original on December 23, Retrieved December 22, PixyJack Press.

The Natural History of Canadian Mammals. University of Toronto Press. October 1, Bears: Their Biology and Management. CiteSeerX Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

August 27, Archived from the original on March 4, Retrieved January 4, Smithsonian Magazine. March 29, July 19, Archived from the original on June 8, April 15, Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. State of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 11, Retrieved April 5, December Frontiers in Zoology.

March 1, Integrative Zoology. They typically live in forests and are excellent tree climbers, but are also found in mountains and swamps. Despite their name, black bears can be blue-gray or blue-black, brown, cinnamon, or even very rarely white.

Black bears are very opportunistic eaters. Most of their diet consists of grasses, roots, berries, and insects. They will also eat fish and mammals—including carrion—and easily develop a taste for human foods and garbage.

Bears who become habituated to human food at campsites, cabins, or rural homes can become dangerous and are often killed—thus the frequent reminder: Please don’t feed the bears! Solitary animals, black bears roam large territories, though they do not protect them from other bears. Males might wander a to square-mile home range. When winter arrives, black bears spend the season dormant in their dens, feeding on body fat they have built up by eating ravenously all summer and fall.

They make their dens in caves, burrows, brush piles, or other sheltered spots—sometimes even in tree holes high above the ground. Black bears den for various lengths of time governed by the diverse climates in which they live, from Canada to northern Mexico. Female black bears give birth to two or three blind, helpless cubs in mid-winter and nurse them in the den until spring, when all emerge in search of food.

The cubs will stay with their very protective mother for about two years. All rights reserved. Common Name: American black bears. Scientific Name: Ursus americanus. Type: Mammals. Diet: Omnivore. Group Name: Sleuth, sloth. Size: 5 to 6 feet long. Weight: to pounds. Size relative to a 6-ft man:. Least concern. Least Concern Extinct. Current Population Trend: Increasing. This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram.

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Where do black bears live –

 
 

The American black bear Ursus americanusor simply black bearis a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent’s smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bears are omnivoreswith their diets varying greatly depending on season and location.

They typically live in largely forested areas, but will leave forests in search of food, and are sometimes attracted to human communities due to the immediate availability of food. Despite the name, some subspecies can be brown or even blond in coloration. The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN lists the American black bear as a least-concern speciesdue to its widespread distribution and a large population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined.

Along with the brown bear Ursus arctosit is where do black bears live of only two modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction. Despite living in North America, American black bears are ссылка на подробности closely related to brown bears and polar bears ; genetic studies reveal that they split from a common ancestor 5. A small нажмите сюда bear called Ursus abstrusus is the oldest known North American fossil member of the genus Ursusdated to 4.

The ancestors of American black bears and Asian where do black bears live bears diverged from sun bears 4. The American black bear then split from the Asian black bear 4.

The American black bear lived роздумие how many crocodiles are in north carolina написано the same period as the giant and lesser short-faced bears Arctodus simus and A.

These tremarctine bears evolved from bears that had emigrated from Asia to the Americas 7—8 mya. The American black bear’s generalist behavior allowed it to exploit a wider variety of foods and has been given as a reason why, of these three where do black bears live, it alone survived climate and vegetative changes through the last Ice Age while the other, more specialized North American predators became extinct.

However, both Arctodus and Tremarctos had survived several other, previous ice ages. After these prehistoric ursids became extinct during the last glacial period 10, years ago, American black bears were probably the only bear present in much of North America until the migration of brown bears to the rest of the continent. American black bears are reproductively compatible with several other bear species where do black bears live occasionally produce hybrid offspring. According to Jack Hanna ‘s Monkeys on the Interstatea bear captured in Sanford, Florida was thought to have been the offspring of an escaped female Asian black bear and a male American /7701.txt bear.

In the nine-year Report it is stated that the bears had been seen in the zoological gardens to couple freely, but previously to most had rarely conceived. In the reports published where do black bears live this date three species have produced young hybrids in one caseDNA testing was unable to determine whether it was a large American where do black bears live bear or a grizzly bear. Sixteen subspecies are traditionally recognized; however, a recent genetic study does not support designating some of these, such as the Florida black bear, as distinct subspecies.

Historically, American black bears occupied the majority of North America’s forested regions. Today, they are primarily limited to sparsely settled, forested areas. All provinces indicated stable populations of American black bears over the last decade. The current range of American black bears in the United States is constant throughout most of the Northeast and within the Appalachian Mountains almost continuously from /2280.txt to northern Georgiathe northern Midwestthe Rocky Mountain regionthe West Coast and Alaska.

Despite this, American black bears in those areas seem to have expanded their range during the last decade, where do black bears live as with recent sightings in Ohio[27] Illinois[29] and southern Indiana. Surveys taken from 35 states in the early s indicate that American black bears are either stable or increasing, except in Idaho and What is s.w.a.t stand for Mexico.

The overall population of American black bears нажмите чтобы перейти the United States has been estimated to range betweenand , [35] though this excludes populations from Alaska, IdahoSouth DakotaTexas and Wyomingwhose population sizes are unknown.

As ofknown Mexican black bear populations existed in four areas, though knowledge on the distribution of populations outside those areas has not been updated since Mexico is the only country where where do black bears live American black bear is classified as «endangered».

There have been several sightings quite far away from where the American black bear is normally found, such as Union County, North Carolina[38] [39] and western Nebraska. The population density is about two per square mile. They inhabit all elevations in the park. Throughout their range, habitats preferred by American black bears have a few shared characteristics. They are often found in areas with relatively inaccessible terrain, thick understory vegetation and large quantities of edible material especially masts.

The adaptation to where do black bears live and thick vegetation in this species may have originally been where do black bears live to the American black bear having evolved alongside larger, more aggressive bear ссылка на подробности, such as the where do black bears live giant short-faced bear and the still-living grizzly bearthat monopolized more open habitats [42] and the historic presence of larger predators, such as Smilodon and the American lionthat could have preyed on American black bears.

Although found in the largest numbers in wild, undisturbed areas and rural regions, American black bears can adapt to surviving in some numbers in peri-urban regions, as long as they contain easily accessible foods and some vegetative coverage. In most of the contiguous United States, American black bears today are usually found in heavily vegetated mountainous areas, from to 3, m 1, to 9, ft in elevation.

For American продолжить чтение bears детальнее на этой странице in the American Southwest and Mexicohabitat usually consists of stands of chaparral and pinyon juniper woods. In this region, bears occasionally move to more open areas where do black bears live feed on prickly pear cactus.

At least where do black bears live distinct, prime habitat types are inhabited in the Southeastern United States. American black bears in the southern Appalachian Mountains survive in predominantly oak-hickory and mixed mesophytic forests.

In the coastal areas of the Southeast such as Floridathe Carolinas and Louisianabears inhabit a mixture of flatwoodsbays and swampy hardwood sites. In the northeastern part of the range the United States and Canadaprime habitat consists of a forest canopy of hardwoods such as beechmaplebirch and coniferous species. Corn crops and oak-hickory mast are also common sources of food in some sections of the Northeast; small, thick swampy areas provide excellent refuge cover largely in stands of white cedar.

Along the Pacific coast, redwoodSitka spruce and hemlocks predominate as overstory cover. Within these northern forest types are early successional areas important for American black bears, such as fields of brush, wet and dry meadowshigh tidelandsriparian areas and a variety of mast-producing hardwood species.

The spruce-fir forest dominates much of the range of the American black bear in the Rockies. Important non-forested areas here are wet meadows, riparian areas, avalanche chutes, roadsides, burns, sidehill parks and subalpine where do black bears live. In areas where human development is relatively low, such as stretches of Canada and AlaskaAmerican black bears tend to be found more regularly in lowland regions.

The skulls of American black bears are broad, with narrow muzzles and large jaw hinges. In Virginiathe total length of adult bear skulls was found to average to mm Their claws are typically black or grayish-brown. The claws are short and rounded, being thick at the base and tapering to a point. Claws from both hind and front legs are almost identical in length, though the foreclaws tend to be more sharply curved.

The paws of the species are relatively large, with a rear foot length of The hind legs are relatively longer than those of Asian black bears. The vestigial tail is usually 4.

The ears are small and rounded and are set well back on продолжение здесь head. American black bears are highly dexterousbeing capable of opening screw-top jars and manipulating door latches. They are also capable of rapidly learning to distinguish different shapes such as small triangles, circles and squares. American where do black bears live bear weight tends to vary according to age, sex, health and season.

American black bears on where do black bears live East Coast tend to be heavier on average than those on the West Coastalthough American black bears follow Bergmann’s rule and bears from the Northwest are often slightly heavier than the bears from the Southeast.

In the state of Californiastudies have indicated that the average mass is 86 kg lb in adult males and 58 kg lb in adult females. The typically small tail is 7. The biggest wild American black bear ever recorded was a male from New Brunswickshot in Novemberthat weighed kg lb after it had been dressed, meaning it weighed an estimated kg 1, lb in life and measured 2.

Ted, the male, weighed — The fur is soft, with dense underfur and long, coarse, thick guard hairs. Individual coat colors can range from white, blonde, cinnamon, light brown or dark chocolate brown to jet black, with many intermediate variations existing. Silvery-gray American black bears with a blue luster this is found mostly on the flanks occur along a portion of coastal Alaska and British Columbia.

White to cream-colored American black bears occur in the coastal islands and the adjacent mainland of southwestern British Columbia. Albino individuals have also been recorded. Grizzly and other types of brown bears can be distinguished by their shoulder hump, larger size and broader, more concave skull. American black bears have better eyesight and hearing than humans.

Their keenest sense is their sense of smell, which is about seven times more sensitive than a domestic dog’s. They regularly climb trees to feed, escape enemies and hibernate. Four of the eight modern bear species are habitually arboreal the most arboreal species, the American and Asian black bears and the sun bear, being fairly closely related.

American black bears living near human habitations tend to be more extensively nocturnalwhile those living near brown bears tend to be more often diurnal. American black bears tend to be territorial and non- gregarious in nature. However, at abundant food sources e. Annual ranges held by mature male American black bears tend to be very large, though there is some variation. On Long Island off the coast of Washingtonranges average 5 sq mi 13 km 2whereas on the Ungava Where do black bears live in Canada ranges can average up to 1, sq mi 2, km 2with some male bears traveling as far as 4, sq mi 11, km 2 at times of food shortages.

Приведу ссылку black bears may communicate with various vocal and non-vocal sounds. Tongue-clicking and grunting are the most common sounds and are made in cordial situations to conspecifics, offspring and where do black bears live humans. When at ease, they produce a loud rumbling hum. During times of fear or nervousness, bears may moan, huff or blow air. Warning sounds include jaw-clicking and lip-popping.

In aggressive interactions, black bears produce «deep-throated pulsing» calls that may sound like growling. Cubs squeal, bawl or scream when anxious and make a motor-like humming sound when comfortable or nursing. Sows usually produce their first litter at the age of 3 to 5 years, [46] with those living in more developed areas tending to get pregnant at younger ages.

The breeding period lasts where do black bears live two to three months. Both sexes are promiscuous. Males try to mate with several females, but large, dominant ones may violently claim a female if another mature male comes near.

The fertilized eggs undergo delayed development and do not implant in the where do black bears live womb until November. The gestation period lasts days and litters are usually born in late January to early February. Litter size is between where do black bears live and six cubs, typically two or three. They are born with fine, gray, down-like hair and their hind quarters are underdeveloped. They typically open their eyes after 28—40 days and begin walking after 5 weeks.